


Looking Forward

by Ambrose



Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types, Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-26 19:06:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5016709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ambrose/pseuds/Ambrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before the ball - Paris considers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Looking Forward

**Author's Note:**

> written for day 1 or [Promptmeshakespeare's](http://promptmeshakespeare.tumblr.com/) RJ week on tumblr, quite some time ago now.

Paris was very young when he learned that one day, he would have to marry and provide an heir, whatever his opinions on the matter. Much later, when his father told him to court the Capulet daughter (who would bring strong allies into the family even though rumour had it that they now had little money), Paris didn’t think much of it. It would happen sooner or later, he knew.

The girl was still young, he argued anyway. “But  _not too young”_ , his father retorted. Other women her age were already married, and if her father wanted to wait, so be it, but Paris at least needed to be the first to propose if he wanted to stand a chance. That closed the argument.

Paris did not remark on the way his father treated his bride-to-be as little more than cattle to be bargained for, nor that he had so little faith in Paris’s own qualities. He was used to it.

He sought the girl’s father out and petitioned for her hand. He would offer her the protection that the Della Scala name afforded him in the constant fight between Montagues and Capulets, and her father at least would be sensible to that.

Paris knew he was awkward, and had little hope of ever being taken seriously because of that, but he knew the Veronese society; he could fairly say his wealth and titles spoke for him better than himself ever could.

Whatever his father could say, the girl was still young – though not so much younger than Paris himself, all things considered, as it happened that girls were sometimes married to men twice his age. Still, he could understand her father’s hesitations, and her own. He hoped that would help to delay a marriage for some time, as no matter how eager he tried to appear – for his father’s sake – he was in no hurry to see it happen.

He did not doubt, however, that in time he and Juliet would get along and learn to live together amiably. If anything, he would give her all the time she needed. He knew that was not what his father (or hers) expected, but he could not conceive it otherwise. Whatever might transpire in public, his future wife’s well-being was of the utmost importance to him. Himself cared little for heirs, or even wedding nights and what they entailed. If Juliet might enjoy, as the sensible girl she seemed to be, the freedom that such a marriage would bring her, then they might both live happily.

Lord Capulet had invited him to a ball where he would finally see her in person. He’d heard so much good about her that, in truth, he was getting used to the idea of spending his life with her; in the current political climate, it seemed  not only the best decision for them both, but a decision he might actually learn to enjoy. And as such, it was with true eagerness that he went to the ball - to meet Juliet in whom he thought he would at least find a friend – something that was too rare and precious in Verona. He hoped he could steal a few private moments to tell her of his true intent. Now, if only he could get past his own awkwardness and stop feeling like he was making a fool of himself at every step, it’d be so much easier.


End file.
